Playoff Run Vaults Pistons To No. 1

By winning their first championship in 14 years, the Detroit Pistons moved from No. 3 to No. 1 in the final Dunkel Index ratings for the 2003-04 season. The Pistons entered the post-season the highest-rated team in Eastern Conference according to Dunkel and did not disappoint in the playoffs, going 16-7 and finishing off the Lakers in five games in the finals. Detroit improved its Dunkel rating from 119.3 at the end of the regular season to 123.6 at the conclusion of the finals. The jump of 4.3 ratings points was second only to Sacramento’s increase (4.6 points). The biggest drop was registered by San Antonio. The Spurs finished the regular season No. 1 in the Index with a rating of 123.5, but dropped to 118.1 after losing to L.A. in the second round. Here are the complete ratings including the playoffs. As a reminder, the ratings reflect how teams were playing at the end of their seasons and thus are not entirely cumulative.